Full crowd expected for Medina art show

MEDINA — The Medina County Art League has Uptown Park fully booked Sunday for the 36th annual Art in the Park Invitational Show.

More artists from Ohio will be featured this year, perhaps due to the economy, although the festival remains largely unhindered by the poor economic climate, Art in the Park co-chair Denise Marabito said.

“We’re seeing more Ohio artists, and that could be due to the fact that they are close and do not have to travel,” she said.

Marabito said only one artist out of 130 canceled, not because of lagging sales, but because she sold all her merchandise at another show.

“I’ve heard mixed comments about that,” Marabito said about whether artists are affected by the economy. Some artists are selling out, but others have told Marabito that sales are down.

“So it’s really hard to gauge,” she said.

About 30 new artists will attend the show that runs 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. this year, replacing artists who have retired, Marabito said.

Besides Ohio, the artists come from places as varied as the mediums they use: Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Kentucky and Mexico.

The Medina County Art League, the group that organizes Art in the Park, often finds artists to invite to the festival at other art fairs around the country, or simply by word of mouth. The Internet also provides opportunities to connect with artists, as many have personal Web sites or post their work on art fair Web sites, Marabito said.

Artists compete for cash awards donated by local merchants. The jury, comprised of artists and Art League members, judges artwork and presentation.

The Art League will sell $1 raffle tickets for works of art donated by exhibitors. Proceeds will benefit the league’s scholarship for local high school seniors who plan to study art in college.